A Cullen Loves A Hale Book 3

Chapter 2 The Will to Change

Once Alexis gets upstairs she decides to take a shower, rolling down a hill with Emmett did not leave her in the best conditions. She gathers some clothes and heads for her bathroom. And as she showers, she thinks over what Alice told her. That she had seen Emmett and her together in the end.

"No, she's wrong, there's nothing left for Emmett and me." Alexis says out loud, more to convince herself than anything else.

There was no way that she could let herself be hurt by him again. Emmett simply did not understand the bond of Lycan mates or he did not take them seriously. Alexis couldn't be with someone like that.

Unfortunately, she realized that for her, the bonds were still very real and very strong when she was transformed near him. And with that, those feelings came the reality that Ambrus was right, she was never going to be able to love anyone else. Tears of grief and loneliness mix in with the warm water that is running down her face.

Meanwhile at the Cullen house Emmett walks in supporting an almost cleaved in half, Edward Cullen, while Carlisle comes in behind carrying Edward's severed arm. Emmett was about to drop Edward in the middle of the living room like a sack of potatoes, until Carlisle tells him to take Edward to his study.

Emmett sighs, "Fine."

He throws him over his shoulder and carries him upstairs, Edward groans at the rough treatment. When they get to Carlisle's office, Emmett dumps him on the sofa.

"Why are you being an ass to me, Emmett, I'm the one Alexis injured."

Emmett, shakes his head, "I know what you did, Eddie Boy, Alice told me. Frankly you got off easy, only losing an arm and nearly getting cleaved in two. She could have ripped you apart limb from limb if I hadn't have shown up. What were you thinking choking my mate, I should kill you myself for that."

Edward looks down in shame, "I know, I don't know what came over me. When she wouldn't do what I demanded, I just lost it. And the funny thing is, Alexis did exactly what I wanted Bella to have in the first place. A life without me. I just never imagined it would be so difficult for me to move on without Bella."

"I know what you mean, I never wanted to live without my mate, and by the way things are going, I may just have to." Emmett tells Edward.

"No you won't, Emmett, my vision hasn't changed. It's a little difficult to see, but what I see is certain, you and Lexie end up together." Alice says as she walks into the room holding several bags of animal blood for Edward.

"Carlisle said for you to drink this, he'll be in, in a moment, to attach your arm."

Edward takes the blood bags from her and begins to drink. It will take several bags to help reattach his arm, human blood would be faster, but that's not an option. So once it's attached, he'll have to go hunting to gather his strength and heal from his abdominal wounds.

Once Edward drank his tenth blood bag, Carlisle came in to reattach his arm. He held Edward's shoulder in place and slowly start to reattach itself and the wound in his abdomen close somewhat. Edward stood up and flexed his arm, he looked down at himself and decided he needed to shower and change.

"After that, Edward, let's you and I go hunting." Carlisle suggests. Edward nods and leaves the room.

Carlisle turns and smiles at Emmett, patting him on the shoulder he too leaves his office to give Alice and Emmett a chance to talk.

"Now, explain, Pixie, what do you mean Lexie and I end up together?" Emmett asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well it's like I said it's not very clear, but I saw both of you together hugging and kissing, looking very happy together in this house." Alice tells him, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Emmett shakes his head, "You're wrong, Alice, I've lost her. She'll never trust me again."

"But you both love each other!" Alice cries

"What good is that without trust? She'll always believe I'll abandon her when things get rough."

"Emmett, you won't, I've seen it." Alice tells him firmly.

"I know I won't abandon her, I learned my lesson, but how do I convince Lexie of that?"

"You need to find a way, Maybe that Ambrus guy can help you?" Alice offers.

Emmett scoffs, "He'd rather kill me than have me close to Lexie."

"It's worth a shot, Emmett. If he's as good a friend as you say he is, Ambrus is going to want her happy. And you are her happiness. There's no harm in trying."

Emmett thinks about it for a moment, "You're right, Pixie, what have I got to lose. I'll talk to him at school on Monday. Thanks for the help." Emmett says then hug her.

"You're welcome, you big oaf," Then she elbowed him, "And for the record my visions are never wrong."

Emmett holds his hands up in surrender, "Whatever you say, Pixie."

In the meantime, Edward has showered and changed and meets Carlisle out in the woods behind the house. Carlisle looks over Edward critically.

"How are you feeling, Son?"

"Somewhat better, I definitely need to feed to heal completely, though."

"That's not entirely what I meant and you know it." Carlisle tells him.

Edward can't look Carlisle in the eyes, they take off towards the mountains first before Edward answers.

"I feel lost, confused, angry, ashamed, and I blame myself for what is happening between Emmett and Alexis." Edward finally says.

"Why do you feel this way? I mean I'm not going to lie to you Edward, you'd know it anyway, you are to blame for what you did to Emmett. Manipulating him into leaving his mate, but there is nothing you can do to fix that situation. Emmett must earn Alexis' trust on his own. I want to know why you feel lost, confused and angry? I assume you feel ashamed for attacking Alexis."

"Yes I do feel ashamed for that. I let my emotions get the better of me when Alexis was only defending Bella. A trait I have always admired in her. But I feel lost and confused because Bella isn't the same anymore and I don't know what to do."

"I thought you wanted her to live her life as if you didn't exist." Carlisle points out.

"I thought I did too, but now that my wish has been granted I can't live with it. I want Bella back, the old Bella." Edward states.

"Why, so you can have her completely dependant on you again? So you can control her? That's not love, Edward that's obsession, and I hate to say it but what you and Bella had was borderline obsessive for each other. Love is an equal partnership but you controlled everything about your relationship and you know it." Carlisle points out.

"So what do I do?"

"Well, there is no getting the old Bella back, she's happy the way she is. What you need to do is start a friendship with her, and I mean a real friendship. Get to know this new Bella, what she likes what she doesn't like. Who her friends are, and if they are the wolf, you have to accept them. You are no one in her life to be ordering her to choose between you or them. Or you might find yourself on the losing end."

"Do you think it could work and I can win her back?" Edward asks with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Maybe, it couldn't hurt, but don't get your hopes up. You may have to learn to be content with just being her friend."